Scott official faces child-porn charges

A Georgetown-Scott County Emergency Management Agency employee was arrested Tuesday after several images of child pornography were found at his home, Georgetown police said.

Eric Dwayne Westerfield, 38, of Georgetown, was arrested about 4:10 p.m. Tuesday while working at the EMA office on Cincinnati Pike, according to a police report.

Westerfield is a captain with the agency and Office of Homeland Security. Scott County Judge-Executive George Lusby said Westerfield has been suspended with pay until further notice.

Westerfield has been charged with eight counts of possession of matter portraying the sexual performance of a minor younger than 13, a Class D felony that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, police said.

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Georgetown police Capt. Scott Starns said eight images were found on a disc in Westerfield's home on Citation Court. Several computers also were seized from Westerfield's home as well as computers from the EMA office to which Westerfield had access.

"We have no reason to believe he took the pictures," Starns said. Police won't know whether the images were downloaded or sent to him by another party until the the Kentucky State Police electronic crimes branch searches the computers, Starns said.

Westerfield could not be reached for comment.

The investigation started Feb. 3, when police received information from the Cyber Tipline regarding the alleged sexual exploitation of a child, police said in a news release.

A search warrant executed on Yahoo! Inc. to review several e-mails led detectives to Westerfield, Starns said. He could not describe the nature of the e-mails.

Westerfield has been released from the Scott County jail on a $20,000 partially secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in court May 19 for an arraignment.